Rail-anchor



H. e. WARE.

AIL ANCHOR.

Patented Sept 6,1921.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M 4 H m I 4/. v m H 1 4 Q w w F E m? r a H. e. WARR, RAIL ANCHOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5| 1920.

V Patent d Sept. 92-1- 2SHEETS-s 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD G. WARE, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE I & M COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAILANCHOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

Application filed October 6, 1920. Serial No. 414,986.

T 0 all whom 2' may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD G. WARE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Park Ridge, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Anchors, of which the following is a specification. Myinvention relates to rail anchors and has for a primary object to provide a rail anchor that will be simple in structure, which may be manufactured at a relatively low cost by a rolling and shearing process, and which may be accurately formed thereby avoiding waste of labor and material such as sometimes result when such devices are made of cast or sheet metal.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated herein as consisting of a shoe member adapted to fit over one edge of the base flange of a rail and to engage with one of the cross ties or other stationary parts of the road-bed, and a spring yoke member formed at one end with a jaw which fits over the opposite edge of the rail base and provided at the other end with an enlargement which fits over the outer surface of the shoe and interlocks therewith. Such adevice is adapted to maintain its initial grip on the rail base by the spring action of the yoke member and to increase its hold on the rail by assuming a diagonal position across the base of the rail, so as to effect a shackle grip during the presence of a creeping pressure on the rail.

Prior to my invention, it has been customary to make the shoe member of the above general type of anchor of cast metal, such, for example, as malleable iron. In an anchor of this type in which it will be seen that a web portion of the shoe intervenes between one of the vertical edgesof the rail and the said enlargement of the yoke, it is necessary, in order to avoid a misfit of the device on the rail, that the web portion of the shoe have an accurate thickness with relation to the length between the jaws of the spring yoke. If the intervening web of the shoe be too thin, as often results from the shrinking of the casting, the spring yoke member will. be too loose on the rail base, and if the web be of greater thickness than intended, the application of the spring yoke is very'diiiicult. In such event, if it is possible to force the yoke to its applied position without breaking it, it is usually too tight sisting of two or to assume its desired diagonal position across the rail base to effect the shackle hold above referred to.

One of the specific objects of my invention is to overcome the above-mentioned and other incidental objections to cast or sheet metal rail anchors of the general type conmore cooperating members, one of which intervenes between the rail and the other member, or in other types wherein it is important that the thickness or other dimensions of one member be accurately maintained with relation to certain dimensions of the other member, by forming certain parts of the device'from a metal bar which is rolled to the shape and dimensions desired When manufacturing a rail anchor, for example, of the general type consisting of a shoe and spring yoke," as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the shoe member of the device is formed from a metal bar which is rolled while hot to the desired cross-sectional configuration, thereby accurately maintaining the desired thickness of the web of the shoe which intervenes betweenthe vertical edge of the rail base and the enlargement of the spring yoke.

Another object is to provide a rolled metal shoe member in which the rail engaging recess will have relatively smooth walls, thereby avoiding the labor, expense of chipping off or otherwise removing the roughened surfaces, sometimes appearing in the recesses of cast metal shoe members.

A further object of the invention is the method herein described of providing a rail base engaging member of rolled metal whereby advantage may be taken of the condition that perfectly formed rails of differ ent weights of certain standard types, for example, the type of rail adopted by the American Society of Civil Engineers, may differ as to the width of the rail base without any change in the thickness of the base flange or any substantial variation in the angularity of the upper surface thereof. This situation makes it possible to form, within practical limits, shoe members for different sized rails with the same set of rolls by simply changing the position of the rolls so as to vary the thickness of the web of the shoe Which intervenes between the vertical edge of the rail base and the other cooperating member of the anchor, for example, the enlargement of the spring yoke,

with each other.

when the anchor manufactured is of the type shown in the drawings. It will be under stood, however, that the method herein disclosed is not limited to the manufacture of rail anchors of the specific structure illustrated, as it may, obviously, be followed in the manufacture of devices of various types whereby such devices may be manufactured more economically and inlarger quantities with less labor than is possible with other methods now in general use.

The invention has as still further objects, the novel arrangements, constructions and combinations of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, for carrying out the above stated objects, and such other objects as will appear from the following description of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a rail anchor device constructed in accordance with my invention, applied 1n its operative posltion onthe base flange of a rail;

Fig. 2 is a front view in elevation ofthe structure. shown in Fig. 1, the rail being shown 1n cross section;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the rail anchor whieh members of the form shown in Fig.

4- are made;

Fig. 6 1s a view in perspective showlng the outersurfaee of the rolled metal bar shown in Fig. 7 V

Fig. 7 is a view in elevation of? the rolled metal bar shown in Figs. 5 and G, sln'iwing in outline the lines on which the blanks for theshoe members are severed from the bar;

Fig. 8 is an edge view of the bar shown in Fig. 7 a

Fig. 9 is a cross-se.-tion taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 6, showing'a modified form of rolled metal bar.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several figures of the drawings. i

The preferred device of my invention con sists of a shoe member designated generally at 10, and a spring yoke member 11 which, together, embrace the base flange of the rail 19. and have an interlocking engagement 7 The shoe member is formed with a recess13 providing a jaw portion which fits over one edge of the base flange of the rail, the upper and lower lips 11d, 15, of the jaw portion being conne' ted by a web 16, the inner surface of which bears against one of the vertical edges of the spring the rail base when the shoe is in its applied position. The jaw portion of the shoe member is preferably "made so that the surfaces defining the recess 13 will conform to the contour of the base fiange, though, if desired, the distance between the upper and lower lips may be less than'the normal thickness of the rail b ase'so that when the shoe member is driven to its applied position the lips 14 and 15 will be spread and take a firm grip on the upper andlower surfaces of the rail base. A depending fiangel? is bent inwardly, as indicated at l8,to provide a tie-abuttingportion whichbears against one of the vertical faces of the tie 19. The yoke member 11 is preferably made of spring metal and .is formed at one end with a hook portion providing a jaw having an angularly disposed lip Qlivhich fits over the opposite edge of the rail and is provided at its other end with an upstanding enlargement 22 providing a jaw which extends over the outer surface of the web 1.6 of the shoe and has an interlocking engagement therewith,wl1ich engagement is maintained by action of the yoke member, as

will be hereinafter described.

The lower lip 15 of the shoe is cutaway, as indicated at 23, to provide a recess into which the yoke extends when in its operative position, as shown in Fig. 3. This recess is preferably wide enongh to permit the yoke to assume its maximum diagonal position across the rail without danger of becoming cramped in the recess, The lower edge of the yoke is provided witha shoulder 2% which, when the yoke is applied,seats on a notch 25 formed on the forward edge of the depending flange l? of the shoe. If desired, the said flange 17 may be provided with a lower notch 26 which will permit the use of the shoe in connection with yoke members not provided with shoulders '24:, or in situations where it maybe desirable to reverse the position of the yoke so that the shoulder 2 1 will. appear on the opposite face of the yoke from that shown in F 8.

The portion of the yoke ,which extends under the rail ispreferably givena slight set or twist, so that the enlargement 2:2 will normally extend at an angle with relation to the hook portion 20, the angularity of the enlargement being'in a direction opposite to the angularity of the lip 21 of said hook portion.

When applying the rail anchor device to its operative position, the shoe member 10 is fitted over one of theedges of the base flange of a rail in a position so that the tie abutment 18 will bear against one of the vertical faces of the tie 19. 'The diagonal lip 21 of the yoke member 11 is then hooked over the opposite edge ofthe base flange, and the enlargement22 raised to .the position shown in "Fig. 3. In raising the enthe upper edge of said enlargement to project back of a lug 27 formed on the shoe. The rear end of this lug preferably extends to a point backof the forward edge of the recess so that the torsional strain on the yoke may be maintained without the yoke member engaging the said forward edge of said recess. lVith this arrangement it is possible to use yoke members of the same size on rails having base flanges of different thickness, and at the same time maintain a substantially uniform tension of the yoke members, by varying the construction of the shoes when manufactured by shifting the shearing lines of the blanks longitudinally of the bar so that the rear end of the lug 27 of each shoe member will be in the proper position to insure the desired tension being maintained on the spring yoke when the anchor is in its applied position. The lug 27 is preferably formed on the shoe near the upper edge thereof so as to utilize the resiliency of the enlar ement 22 when the anchor is in its interlocking position.

The torsionalstrain to which the yoke is subjected in its application to the rail, tends V to force the outer edge of the lip 21 clownwardly, so as to bear against the inclined surface of the rail base with spring pressure. The tendency which the spring yoke has to return to thenormal position from which it was sprung causes the enlargement 22 of the yoke to bear with spring pressure against the edge of the lug 27. This spring pressure main ains the initial grip of the device on the rail and prevents it from being loosened during a retrograde movement, or other disturbing influences such, for example, as the vibration of the rail caused by the passing traflic. When the device is in its operative position, the spring yoke 11 preferably extends diagonally across the rail base, as. shown in Fig. '1, so that during the presence of a creeping pressure the longitudinal movement of the rail will effect a firm shackle hold of the device on the opposite edges of the rail base. I

The shoe members 10 are preferably made from metal blanks designated at 28 in Fig. 7, which are of a nesting configuration and are cut from a rolled metal bar 29 on the lines. designated a. The portion 30 of the blank is bent inwardly along the dotted line 7) to provide the tie-abutting foot 18. The bar29 is-forined on one side with the recess 13 which corresponds to the configuration of the edge of the rail base over which the shoe 10 is intended to fit,eand the other side ofthe bar is formed with the bosses 27, which in addition to providing an abutment for the enlargement 22 of the spring yoke,

as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive,'serve as a permanent gage to accurately determine the point-where the blank is to be severed from the bar. This side of the bar is also provided with depressions 81 at the point where the severing of the blank provides the recess 23 of the shoe. The depressions, in addition to effecting a saving of metal and reducing the thickness of the bar and eliminating the curved portion through which the shears would otherwise be required to pass, provide a relatively flat suri'ace for engagement with the tie when the portion 30 is bent to the position indicated in Fig. 4.

By forming the shoe member 10 from a rolled metal bar of the configuration shown in Figs. 5 to 9 inclusive, it is possible to accurately maintain auniiorm thickness ot' the web 16 for all shoe members intended to be applied to rails of a particular size or standard, and thereby avoid the waste and difiiculties encountered due to variations in the thickness of this web, resulting from. shrinkage or other causes, when the shoe is made of cast metal. By forming the shoe member of the anchor from a rolled metal bar of the above character, another important advantage is obtained over the use of cast or sheet metal shoes, in that a larger production can be obtained with less expense than is possible with the various methods now employed in the manufacture of devices of this character. It will also be noted that bars suitable for shoes adapted to fit different sized rails may be made with one set of rolls without adding an objectionable amount 01": weight to the shoe, or without saerificing its strength and rigidity by simply changing the position of one of the rolls (not shown) with relation to the other, so as to vary the thickness of the web 16 of the bar. In this connection it will be understood that it the thickness of the webs of different sized shoes vary to any large extent, rolls of suitable design may be used so as to avoid 'increasing the thickness of metal at the points where an increased thickness is not desired.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a modified form of rolled metal bar from which blanks of substantially the same outline as shown in Fig. 7 may becut. This form of bar, instead of being formed with a plurality of spaced lugs 27, as shown in Fig. 7, is formed with a continuous rib 32 which may be cut away at predetermined points, as indicated by the dotted lines 33, to provide outstanding lugs 34 on the blank corresponding to the lugs 27 of the form. of shoe member illustrated in the preceding figures. The dotted lines 35 indicate the lines on which the bar is sheared to provide blanks of the desired configuration which, as illustrated in this figure, are substantially the same in outline as that illustrated in Fig. 7. The forming metal bar. With this form of bar, the length of the lugs 34 may be accurately proportioned with relation to the thickness of the the rail bases to which. the-anchor devices are to be applied, thereby making'it possible to maintain asubstantially uniform tortional strain on the spring yoke members, so

, application Serial that they will grip with equal tenacity rails having base flanges of different thickness. In this modification, the depending flange designated 36, instead of extending clownwardly from the inner edge of the lower lip of the bar, as shown in the preceding figures, is disposed near the outer surface of the web 16, thereby bringing the notches 25, 26 on which the lower edge of the yoke seats, in substantial alinement with the outer surface of the shoe engaged by the inner edge of the enlargement 22 of the yoke. By forming the depending flange in this manner, the lower edge of the yoke will be supported at substantially the point of pivot between the yokev and shoe, thereby permitting the hook end20 of the yoke to assume different diagonal positions across the base flange of the rail, such as may result from a forward or retrograde movement of the rail, without danger of producing a binding action of the yoke in the recess 23 of the shoe, or resulting in the accidental removal of the yoke from its seat on the notches 25, 26*.

While I have described, my invention in certain preferred embodiments, it will be obvious to persons familiar with this art that the principles herein disclosed maybe modified as to details, or employed in connection'with rail anchors of diflerent forms, without departing from my invention. I therefore wish it understood that I contemplate all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I do not claim herein the specific features which apply only to the embodiment shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings, as such features form the subject-matter of my copending No. 482,483, filed July 5, 1921.

l. A rail anchor device comprising a rail engaging member formed from a rolled metal blank having an angular configuration in cross section; said anchor device, in its completed form, being provided with a jaw for engaging with the rail and a portion adapted to engage with a stationary part of the road bed, to resist the longitudinal movements of the rail.

2. A rail anchor comprising a member having a jaw to engage the rail; said mem ber being made of a piece of rolled metal having a configuration corresponding to the shape of said jaw.

3. A rail anchor comprising a shoe member having a jaw adapted to engage with one edge of-the base flange of a rail; said shoe being formed from a rolled metal blank having a recess corresponding to said jaw.

4. A rail anchor comprising a shoe member having a jaw adapted to engage with one edge of the base flange of a rail and formed with a tie-abutting foot; said shoe being formed from a rolled metal blank having a recess corresponding to said jaw.

5. A- rail anchor comprising a shoe member having a jaw adapted to engage with one edge of the base 'flangeof a rail and formed with a tieabutting foot; said shoe being formed from a rolled metal blank havinga recess corresponding to said jaw and bent on a vertical line to provide said tieabutting foot.

y 6. A rail anchor comprising a shoe member having a jaw adapted to engage with one edge of the base flange of a rail and formed with a tie-abutting foot; said shoe being formed from a rolled metal'blank having a recess corresponding to said jaw and formed with a' flange which is bent on a vertical line to provide said tie-abutting foot. 7

7. A rail anchor comprising a shoe memberhaving a jaw adapted to fit over the upper and lower surfaces of the base flange of a rail and formed with a tie-abutting foot; said shoe being formed from a rolled metal blank having a recess corresponding to said jaw and formed with a flange which is bent on a vertical line to provide said tie-abutting which together embrace the base flange of a rail and have an interlocking engagement with each other; said yoke member being subjected to a torsional strain in its application to the rail whereby the initial grip of the device on the rail is maintained by spring pressure.

10. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member and a spring yoke member adapted to embrace the base flange of a rail; said shoe member being formed with a lug on its outer surface and said yoke being adapted to be strained into locking engage ment with said lug.

11. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member and a spring yoke member adapted to embrace the base flange of a rail, said. shoe being formed with a lug on its outer surface and with a tie-abutting foot, and said yoke being adapted to be strained into locking engagement with said lug.

-12. A. rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member adapted to engage witl one edge of the base flange of arail and a spring yoke member adapted to engage the opposite edge of said rail base and the outer surface of said shoe; said shoe being formed with a lug on its outer surface, and said yoke being adapted to be strained into locking engagement with said lug.

13. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jaw to fit over one edge of the base flange of a rail, and a spring yoke member formed at one end with a jaw to engage the opposite edge of the rail base and formed at its other end with a jaw which fits over the outer surface of said shoe and interlocks therewith, said shoe member being formed from a blank having a recess providing the jaw of said shoe.

14 A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jaw to fit over one edge of the base flange of a rail, and a spring yoke member formed at one end with a aw to engage the opposite edge of the rail base and formed'at its other end with a jaw which fits over the outer surface of said shoe and interlocks. therewith; said shoe member being formed from a blank having a recess providing the of said shoe, and said spring yoke being adapted to be subjected to a torsional strain in its application to the rail.

15. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jaw to fit over one edge of the base flange of a rail and formed with a tie-abutting foot, and a spring yoke member formed at one end with a jaw to fit over the opposite edge of the rail base and formed at its other end with a jaw which fits over the outer surface of said shoe and interlocks therewith; said shoe member being formed from a blank having a recess providing the jaw of said shoe, and said spring yoke being adapted to be subjected to a torsional strain in its application to the rail.

16. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jaw to fit over one edge of the base flange of the rail and formed with a tie abutting foot, and a spring yoke member formed at one end with a jaw to engage the opposite edge of the rail base and formed at its other end with a jaw which fits over the outer surface of said shoe and interlocks therewith; said shoe member being formed from a blank having one edge of a configuration adapted to nest with an edge of another blank and having a recess providing the jaw of said shoe, and provided with a flange which is bent to provide said tie-abutting foot.

17. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jaw to fit over one edge of the base flange of the rail and formed with a tieabutting foot, and a spring yoke member formed at one end with a jaw to engage the opposite edge of the rail base and formed at its other end with a j aw which fits over said shoe and interlown therewith; said shoe member being formed from a blank having one edge of con figuration adapted to nest with an another blank and having a recess arothe jaw of said shoe, and formed v; -V flange which is bent to provide 5 is? re abutting foot, and said spring yoke b1 lg'f adapted to b subjected to a torsional st; in its application to the rail whereby the initial grip of the device on the rail is maintained by spring pressure.

18. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jar; to tit m 1' one edge of the base flange of a rail, and a spring yoke member adapted to normally extend diagonally across the rail formed at one end with a jaw to en the opposite edge of the rail base and for med at ts other end with a jaw which over the outer surface of said shoe and interlocks therewith; said shoe being formed from blank having a recess providing the jaw of said shoe.

- 19. The method of manufacturing rail. anchors consisting of rolling the metal of the anchor to a configuration providing rail engaging portions.

20. The method of manufacturing rail anchors consisting of rolling relatively long metal bars to cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the configuration of the anchor desired and severing said bar into suitable lengths.

21. The method of manufacturing rail anchors, consisting of rolling a metal bar while hot to a cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the configuration of a rail gripping portion of the anchor, severing said bar into suitable lengths, and bending said portions to form the tie abutting foot of the anchor.

22. The method of manufacturing rail anchors, consisting of rolling a metal bar while hot to a recessed cross-sectional configuration corresponding to the configuration of one edge of the rail base to which the anchor is to be applied, severing said bar into suitable lengths, and bending one end of said severed portions to form the tie-abutting foot of the anchor.

23. The method of manufacturing rail anchors, consisting of rolling a metal bar while hot to provide a plurality of spaced lugs on its outer surface and to form a recess on its inner surface corresponding to the configuration of one edge of the rail base to which the anchor is to be applied, severing said bar into suitable lengths, and bending one end of said severed portions to form the tieabutting foot of the anchor.

24L lhe method ofmanufacturing rail anchors, consisting of rolling a metal bar while hot to provide aseries of outwardly pro.- jeoting lugs on its outer surface and to form the inner surface of the bar with a recess adapted to fit over one edge of the rail base to which the anchor is to be applied, severing said bar at predetermined points to provide blanks having one of said lugs disposed thereon in a predetermined position, and bending one end of the blanks severed from said bar to provide a tie-abutting foot of the anchor.

25. A rail anchor comprising a rail engaging member adapted to grip the upper and lower surfaces of a rail base, said member being formed from a rolled metal blank having a configuration corresponding substantially to the configuration of one of the base flanges of the rail to which the anchor is to be applied.

26. A rail anchor comprising a rail engaging member having a jaw adapted to engage with one edge of the base flange of a rail, and formed with a tire-abutting foot; said rail engaging member being formed from a blank sheared "from a rolled metal bar having a recess providing said jaw.

27. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal rail engaging member and a yoke' ber adapted to embrace the'base fiange'of a' rail,'said shoe member being formed with a lug on its outer surface and provided with a depending M viding a seat for said yoke and bent to provide a tie-abutting foot, and said yoke being adapted to be strained into locking engagement with said lug. V 1 V 29. A rail anchor comprising a rolled metal shoe member having a jaw to fit over one edge of the base flange oi'a rail, and a snring yoke member adapted to engage the opposite edge oiithe railbase and the outer surface of said shoe member; said shoe member being formed with an outwardly proecting lug proportioned with relation to the thickness of the rail base to whleh-the anchor is to be applied, and said spring yoke member being adapted to be subjected to a torsional strain in moving it to an interlocking position with said lug, whereby said spring yoke will grip with equal tenacity rails having base flanges of different thickness.

nanonn e. WAR-R;

fia 'e formed with anotch pro-f 

